Four-turn puff pastry is a delightful and light dessert, composed of thin layers of crispy dough enriched with a mix of butter, lard, and lemon juice. It is an excellent base for preparing cakes and sweet tarts, but it can also be used to make cookies and filled pastries. This recipe originates from Italy and is particularly popular in traditional pastry making. Its preparation requires a bit of patience and attention, but the final result is truly irresistible.
The ingredients are for 900 g of dough
Cut the cold butter into cubes
Sift the flour and salt over a bowl
Add half of the chopped butter and work it into the flour with your fingertips until you get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs
Make a well
Measure 15 cl of ice-cold water and pour it into the well along with the lemon juice
Stir vigorously with a wide knife, gradually bringing the flour towards the center of the well
Incorporate all the flour, adding a little water by spoonfuls if necessary, until you get a dough ball that is neither too wet nor too dry
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface
Gently work it to smooth it out
Flatten the dough to obtain a rectangle of 40 x 20 cm, keeping the edges straight and the corners square
If you have worked the dough too vigorously, it will resist before reaching the required size; press it gently
With the back of a knife, draw a line across the width of the rectangle, marking off one-third
With the help of a knife, distribute half of the lard in small dollops
the size of a hazelnut on the remaining two-thirds of the dough up to the marked line
Leave a 15 cm border on the three outer sides
Fold the rectangle in three: fold the third without fat first, then cover it with the remaining third
Seal the edges with the rolling pin or with your hand
Wrap the dough with a sheet of plastic wrap, then with a damp cloth, and place it in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes
At this point, the dough will have had one turn
After fifteen minutes, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on the lightly floured work surface with the fold to your left and the long sealed side to the right
Roll it out again until you have a rectangle of 40 x 20 cm with firm and even movements starting from the center and moving towards you and then towards the opposite end
Never on the sides and never diagonally
Repeat the dollop operation and the folding using the remaining half of the butter
Seal the edges, wrap the dough again, and place it in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes
The second turn is finished. Give the dough the third and fourth turn with the rest of the lard for the third and the rest of the butter for the fourth and final turn, letting it rest in the fridge for fifteen minutes each time
Rolling Pin
Work Surface
Pastry Cutter
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days
Four-turn puff pastry is a typical preparation of Italian pastry, ideal for making crispy and delightful desserts. It can be used as a base for cakes, tarts, and cookies.
Italia
Energy (kcal) | 514.94 |
Carbohydrates (g) | 41.9 |
of which Sugars (g) | 1.36 |
Fat (g) | 36.54 |
of which Saturates (g) | 18.94 |
Protein (g) | 6.64 |
Fiber (g) | 1.29 |